Obedience No More He's the One I Deserved novel Chapter 195

Tony's face immediately fell. "Boss ... "

"Not willing to rest? Then forget it."

Rest?

"Thank you, Boss!"

Ethan did not respond, just strolled into the villa.

He took a shower in the guest room before returning to the bedroom. The lights stayed off, only the faint glow of the night spilling through the window, falling on the woman's silky hair spread across the pillow. One foot peeked out from under the blanket, her ankle pale as snow.

His lips curved faintly as he tucked her foot back under the blanket.

His gaze drifted upward, landing on her face.

She looked so well-behaved asleep. The childishness from before had long faded, her skin flawless, her delicate features softer yet more striking now—a beauty that deepened the longer one looked.

For some reason, what flashed across Ethan's mind was the little girl she had once been, all claws and defiance.

Years had passed, and the girl once bristling with thorns had softened, her sharp edges fading away.

His brows furrowed slightly at the thought. The Osbornes seemed good to her, but staying by Austin's side had been more of a cage than protection. And then all those people appeared around her one after another—her uncle, Andy, Micah.

On the surface, they did not seem connected. Yet strangely, it was as if an invisible thread tied them all to her.

Ethan's deep gaze lingered on her a moment longer before he turned and headed to the study.

He opened his laptop. The glow lit up the sharp planes of his face, shifting with the screen's flicker.

Tony's email was packed with Micah's personal history, every little detail listed.

It showed that though Micah and Andy were brothers, Micah had not been brought back into the family until he was 16.

Before that, he had a foster father who was a wealthy businessman. But after that man had children of his own, he had abandoned Micah completely. That was when Mr. Kelsinger found him.

Rich foster father ...

Ethan frowned. No information on this man at all.

And Micah's time abroad? No trace of it either.

An orphanage adoption?

He pondered for a few seconds, his long fingers scrolling further.

Andy's record was far simpler. He had followed a steady path from childhood, graduating from college, working two years as an outdoor guide, and then switching careers to become a pigment artist.

Clean. Perfect. Flawless.

So flawless it almost felt suspicious.

And from what little contact Ethan had had with him, Andy was anything but simple.

She lined up and waited.

Before her turn came, adults nearby started whispering.

"Why's there so much smoke over there? Whose house is on fire?"

"Oh no! It looks serious. Better call the fire department!"

"Wait, that looks like Vera's house! Quick, call the fire department! I saw someone still inside when I passed by earlier!"

The voices rang in her ears. Dawn turned her head in confusion and froze.

Thick smoke blotted out the sky, black and rolling, like some beast ready to tear out from within.

The money slipped from her hand. She bolted toward the neighborhood.

Her mom ... Her mom was still waiting for her to come back.

Her mind went blank. She tripped, fell hard, and the skin on her knee tore open, and she started bleeding. Yet, she did not even feel the pain. She scrambled up and kept running.

Tears blurred her vision. She did not even understand why she was crying, did not want to believe what they had said—that it was her house burning. However, the waves of panic kept crashing over her, making her whole body tremble.

At last, she reached the gate.

The doors were shut tight and the dog barked frantically inside.